Means for separating particles of solid material by flotation



R. S. ELLIS 7 Feb. 7, 19-39.

MEANS FOR SEFARATING PARTICLES OF SOLID MATERIAL B'I FLOTATION Filed Aug. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG I.

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MEANS FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES OF SOLID MATERIAL BY FLOTATION Filed Aug. 15, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I.

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Patented Feb. 1539 V 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR SEPARATING PARTICLES F SOLID MATERIAL BY FLOTATION Russell S. Ellis, Vineland, N. J.

Application August 15, 1938, Serial No. 224,885.

6 Claims. (01. 209--211) My invention is of the class described in Letextension at one end pendent over said material ters Patent of the United States No. 2,104,537 inlet. Said bafiie means forms a partition in granted to me January 4, 1938, and is applicable said casing whereby the upper lighter portion of to any material particles of different sizes or the material to be separated is skimmed'at the specific gravity, or both, for instance, natural perimeter of said casing and compelled to flow up sands, comminuted stone, coal, vegetable grains, a helical. path from said material inlet to said or any other substance, by the application thereupper outlet. to of water or other fluid, or mixture of fluids, The present invention differs further from the under pressure, to effect flotation thereof. disclosures of said patent in that the flotation 10 The apparatus disclosed in said patent includes fluid inlet has vents in said casing in a cylindrical 10 a plurality of separator casings utilized as disreceptacle surrounding said inlet in coaxial relatinct receptacles for the material to be treated, tion therewith and having a jet oriflceopening disposed in a vertical series, and connected in into said casing at one side thereof, opposite to series relation by conduits through which solid the outlet for the precipitated material; whereby 1;; material which is not precipitated in the lowerthe stream of precipitated material passing in most receptacle is delivered into the next higher said casing downward to its outlet, is turbulated receptacle, and the material which is not precipiby a jet of flotation fluid, which facilitates the tated in the second receptacle is delivered into a discharge of said precipitated material from the third receptacle, and so on, the materials precipicasing.

tated in the several receptacles being discharged In the apparatus shown in said patent, the 2 separately from the bottoms thereof, and the spreader plates in each casing are respectively finest materials, finally separated by flotation, supported from the bottom and top thereof and being discharged from the top receptacle. held in coaxial relation by a plurality of rods In the form of my invention chosen for illusextending through both plates; each rod being tration, the separator casing is conical, with its rigidly connected with the casing at its upper apex downward, and has an inlet conduit for the and lower ends. In the form of my invention material to be separated extending tangentially herein shown, such rods are omitted to afford a into one side thereof below the top, and an outlet completely annular fluid orifice between said conduit extending tangentially from the upper plates, and the lower spreader plate is rendered part of the casing. An axial inlet conduit for axially adjustable in coaxial relation with the 30 the flotation fluid extends vertically through said upper spreader plate by sliding upon said axial casing, in coaxial relation therewith. That conflotation fluid inlet conduit. duit is connected with two distinct flotation fluid My invention includes the various novel feasupply conduits, respectively above and below tures of construction and arrangement and said casing, through either or both of which fiotamethod of operation hereinafter more definitely tion fluid may be delivered into the casing under specified.

pressure between horizontal spreader plates pro- In said drawings; Fig. I is a vertical sectional vided with means for varying the area of a comview of a single separator casing, conveniently pletely annular fluid passage between them, openembodying my improvements.

40 ing into said casing. An outlet is provided ex- Fig. II is a plan view of the casing shown in 40 tending laterally at the lower end of the casing Fig. I, but with the top plate removed to show through which the material precipitated in the said interior baflle means. casing is discharged. In said figures; 1 is a conical separator cas- My present invention differs from that dising having its apex downward, and the inlet conclosed in said patent, in that I provide baffle duit 2 for the material to be separated, extend- 5 means between said material inlet and the upper ing tangentially into the side thereof. The axial outlet of the casing, including a sector of a cylininlet conduit 3 for the flotation fluid extends der in coaxial and laterally inwardly spaced relavertically through the casing I, in coaxial relation with the outer wall of said casing above said tion therewith, and has vents- 3 in said casing.

spreader plates. Said bafile means also includes Supply conduits 3 and 3 connect said conduit 50 a sector of an annular plate extending, in a sub- 3 with means for delivering flotation fluid through stantially horizontal plane, at the bottom of said it into said casing I, under pressure; for inother sector, and between said inlet conduit for stance, a pump 5. The supply through conduits the material to be separated and said upper out- 3 and 3 may be controlled by respective valves let conduit; said baflle plate having a downward 4 and 4. Natural sand is supplied through con- 55 duit 2 mixed with flotation water and under pressure, from pump 3.

I find that the maximum speed of separation of sand is attained by predetermining an upwardly extending helical path in each separator casing from the inlet 3 to the upper tangential outlet conduit l, for the lighter material, which may extend to the next in a series of such separator casings as indicated at l, at levels successively higher than the initial separator casing.

Therefore, I provide baflie means between said inlet and outlet, to form such a path in said casing l between said material inlet 2 and said upper outlet 1. Such bafile means includes the sector of a cylinder 8 in coaxial, and laterally inwardly spaced, relation with the perimeter of said casing l and having at its lower end the sector of an annular plate 8 extending in a substantially horizontal plane, and having the downward extension 8 at one end, pendent over said material inlet 2; whereby the lighter material is skimmed from the material being precipitated, and its upward passage from beneath said partition' plate 8 to said outlet 5 is facilitated.

The cylindrical receptacle 9 for flotation fluid surrounds said inlet conduit 3 in coaxial relation therewith and has a jet outlet 3' at the side thereof opposite to the outlet H] from said casing l through which the material precipitated in said casing is discharged. The effect of that arrangement is that a jet of the flotation fluid supplied through the inlet 3 passes radially outward into the stream of precipitating material gravitating toward said discharge outlet l6; whereby the precipitated material is turbulated in and by such jet of flotation fluid, and its progress to and through said discharge outlet Ml thus facilitated. However, the upper end of said receptacle 9 has the outwardly flared completely annular spreader flange 3 terminating in a horizontal lip at its perimeter, over which the major portion of the flotation fluid is distributed uniformly into the annularspace l in said casing l.

A second cylindrical receptacle l2 for flotation fluid, having a completely annular spreader flange W, is axially opposed to said flange 9 above the latter and is fixed on said axial conduit 3. But the spreader 9 is axially adjustable so that the operator may precisely determine and vary the area of the completely annular fluid passageway between said spreaders 9 and I2. For that purpose, the receptacle 9 is rigidly connected with the pendent cylindrical sleeve 9' which is slip-fitted on said axial conduit 3 and rigidly, but detachably, connected with the packing collar l3, by which the receptacle 9 and spreader 9 may be manually raised and lowered, through the stuffing box It on the bottom of said casing I.

Said collar I3 contains two packing rings; first, the ring 13*, preferably formed of ductile metal, as tin, lead or copper, adjustable by the screw gland I3 to normally rigidly connect said collar and the sleeve 9*, and, second, the flexible ring l3 adjustable by the screw gland 83 to prevent fluid leakage from the interstice between axial conduit 3 and sleeve 9'.

The packing collar I5 contains but one packing ring I5 preferably formed of ductile metal and adjustable by the screw gland l5 to normally rigidly connect said collar with said axial inlet conduit 3. I find it convenient to provide said collar I5 with the annular flange l5 fitted to overlap the packing collar l3 so that said 2,lld6,672

collar 55 may be clamped upon the conduit 3 to lock the collar l3 and the spreader flange 9 connected therewith in any position to which it may be adjusted by the operator to vary the effective area of the completely annular passageway between the perimeters of the spreader flanges 9 and i2.

Moreover, I find it convenient-to provide said casing l and each of the other casings in the series with respective stufiing boxes H5 at the top thereof through which said axial conduit 3 is axially adjustable so that the operator may place the upper spreader flange l2 in any desired position with respect to the height of said casing i, said casing l and the inlet conduit 3 being rigidly connected in any position of relative adjustment by pressing the packing in said stufling box H6.

The precipitated material discharge outlet conduit ID of easing l, and each casing in the series employed, may be supplemented to convey the precipitated material from each separator casing into respective bins. The upper discharge outlet conduit ll from the uppermost separator casing in the series may be likewise supplemented with a conduit leading to a bin for the overflow material discharged therethrough.

As an example of the utility of the present invention; I note that in an apparatus including eleven separator casings similar to said casing l,

and connected in a series one above the other as above contemplated, I have treated natural sand taken from the neighborhood of Newport, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey,

and heretofore used for various purposes. Although that natural sand is principally substantially pure white silica it contains a suiflcient percentage of extremely fine granules, tinted light brown with iron oxide to render it objectionable for the manufacture of glass. By a single passage of that natural sand through said apparatus it was separated into eleven grades of White sand, all of such purity as to be'available for glass manufacture, and the overflow at the top of the apparatus contained all of the iron oxide embodied in granules finer than any precipitated in said eleven receptacles. The coarsest of the white granules had an average maximum dimension of .035. The finest precipitate of white sand consisted of granules having an average maximum dimension of .006, whereas, the overflow contained tinted particles having an average maximum dimension of .002. Incidentally, the granules comprised in all of the precipitates and in said overflow were thoroughly washed. Moreover, such separation and cleansing can be effected by my present invention, with that particular sand, at the rate of one hundred twenty tons per hour; without any manual labor other than that of one man competent to see that the pumps remain in operation supplying the material to be separated and the flotation fluid throughout the process of separation.

However, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction, arrangement or method of operation herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In means for separating particles of solid material by flotation; the combination with a conical separator casing having its apex downward; of an inlet conduit for the material to be separated, extending laterally into the side of the casing; an axial inlet conduit for the flotation fluid, extending upwardly into the bottom of said casing in coaxial relation therewith; means for delivering flotation fluid through said fluid conduit into said casing, under pressure; an outlet conduit extending tangentially from the upper part of said casing; and battle means extending, in a substantially horizontal plane, between said inlet conduit for the material to be separated, and said outlet conduit, forming a sectoral partition in said casing; said baille means having associated therewith a portion of a cylinder in coaxial, and laterally spaced, relation with said casing; whereby the material to be separated is compelled to follow a circumferential path in said casing between said material inlet and said upper outlet.

2. A structure as in claim 1; wherein the sectoral partition has a downward extension at one end, pendent over said material inlet,to the rear of the inlet in the direction of inflow; whereby the passage of liquid from beneath said partition to said upper outlet is facilitated.

3. A structure as in claim 1; wherein the axial inlet conduit extends through the top of the casing and has connections with a source of fluid pressure at both of its ends. 4. A structure as in claim 15 wherein the inlet for the flotation fluid is surrounded by a cylindrical receptacle in coaxial relation therewith, and having a jet outlet into said casing at one side thereof; and said casing has an outlet for precipitated material opposite to said jet outlet from said receptacle into said casing; whereby, the stream of precipitated material passing in said casing to its outlet is turbulated by the flotation fluid escaping through said outlet from said receptacle and the discharge of said precipitated material thus facilitated.

5. In means for separating particles of solid material by flotation; the combination with a conical separator casing having its apex downward; of an inlet conduit for the material to be separated, extending laterally into the side of the casing; an inlet conduit for the flotation fluid, extending upwardly into the bottom of said casing in coaxial relation therewith; a cylindrical receptacle surrounding said inlet in coaxial relation therewith, and having an outlet into said casing at one side thereof; an outlet for precipitated material, in said casing, opposite to said outlet from said receptacle; means for delivering flotation fluid through said fluid conduit into said casing, under pressure; an outlet conduit extending tangentially from the upper part of said casing; and baifie means including a sector of a cylinder in coaxial, and laterally spaced relation with said casing; a sector of an annular plate extending, in a substantially horizontal plane, between said inlet conduit for the material to be separated, and said outlet conduit, forming a sectoral partition in said casing; said plate having a downward extension at one end, pendent over said material inlet, to the rear of the inlet in the direction of inflow; whereby the lighter 'material being separated is skimmed and directed upward in a circumferential path in said casing between said material inlet and said up er outlet, and the stream of precipitated matei al passing in said casing to its outletis turbulated by the flotation fluid escaping through said jet outlet, and the discharge of said precipitated material thus facilitated.

6. In means for separating particles of solid material by flotation; the combination with a conical separator casing having its apex downward; of an inlet conduit for the material to be separated, extending laterally into the side of said casing; an inlet conduit for the flotation fluid, extending upwardly into the bottom of said casing; means for delivering flotation 'fluid through said fluid conduit into said casing, under pressure; an outlet conduit extending tangentially from the upper part of said casing; and baffle means, including a sector of an annular plate extending in a substantially horizontal plane, between said inlet for the material to be separated and said outlet conduit, forming a sectoral partition in said casing, and having a downward extension at one end, pendent over said material inlet, to the rear of the inlet in the direction of inflow; whereby the lighter material to be separated is skimmed and directed upward in a circumferential path in said casing between said material inlet and said upper outlet, and the passage of liquid from beneath said partition to said upper outlet is facilitated.

RUSSELL s. arms. 

